Lbp Am Sa Sells 34,786 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Lbp Am Sa lessened its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 29.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 81,397 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 34,786 shares during the period. Lbp Am Sa’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $22,291,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $28,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp grew its holdings in Ecolab by 202.6% during the 2nd quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 81.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total transaction of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. This trade represents a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,933,816. The trade was a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.2%

Ecolab stock opened at $281.92 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $267.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $269.42. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $221.62 and a 1-year high of $286.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The company had revenue of $4.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Ecolab’s payout ratio is currently 41.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on ECL. Barclays raised their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $265.00 to $300.00 in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $296.00.

About Ecolab

Ecolab, Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. The company develops and supplies cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, dispensing equipment, water-treatment systems, pest elimination services and related technologies designed to help businesses maintain clean, safe and efficient operations. Its offerings span both products and onsite services, often paired with technical support and training.

Ecolab serves a broad range of end markets including hospitality and foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial operations, and energy and utilities.